


Night Creatures

by lightfighter08



Category: Carmilla (Web Series)
Genre: Werewolf!Danny, and featuring an appearance by the Summer Society, or Danny for that matter, who I apparently can't leave out of a fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-06
Updated: 2014-12-06
Packaged: 2018-02-28 08:35:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,925
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2725778
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lightfighter08/pseuds/lightfighter08
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's a full moon, and Danny's out with the Summer Society in the woods of Silas. Unfortunately for her, they're not the only ones who claim the forest, and Danny may have to learn the dangers of venturing out alone the hard way.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Night Creatures

Danny is no stranger to full moons, and all that comes with them – she’s been dealing with them since she was thirteen, after all. And even before that, she knew what to expect; growing up in a family of werewolves tends to quickly rid lycanthropy of any mystery or glamour pop culture has attached to it.

Not to say it’s a condition she resents. There had been moments in her teenage years when she’d railed against this inevitability, this _affliction_ that she had never asked for, but as the years and full moons have passed she’s grown to appreciate the abilities the wolf affords her, and the perspective granted to her that she otherwise never would’ve known.

There is a simplicity to it, as well, that is often very welcome; the varied concerns and problems that occupy her mind seem relatively inconsequential when the wolf envelops her – all that matters then is her territory and her pack. And Danny has both, whether it’s home and her family, or here at Silas, where the campus, the surrounding wood, and the Summer Society fill in nicely.

(She’d initially been wary of accepting a group of strangers into her life in such a personal way –there are, after all, few relationships more intimate than those between pack mates – but three years in, the brave and headstrong girls that make up the Summer Society are as much her family as her actual relatives, and she understands now why her mother and aunts and older cousins all remain close to their own pack mates from their terms in the Society and Silas.)

It is with her sisters now that she bounds through the dark woods around Silas, luxuriating in both the thrill of the freedom and strength she never feels so acutely then when the wolf overtakes her, and the wild energy of the full moon thrumming through her veins. The hold of the moon is strong on her now, and she knows she won’t be able to shift back to her human form even if she wanted, won’t be able to until dawn.

As Danny sprints, great loping strides that easily eat up the miles, she tries to let the wolf fully encompass her mind in an attempt to dislodge the exceptionally cute, unbelievably stubborn girl that has seemingly taken up residence there and refuses to leave. Danny admires Laura’s tenacity (She’s the alpha of a pack of werewolves completely unfamiliar with the concept of self-preservation. Tenacity kind of comes with the territory) and is completely taken with her innate charm, but her perpetual worry for the freshman’s survival odds is beginning to strain just how much the werewolf can handle. (Laura’s habit of gleefully hurling herself headfirst into insanely dangerous situations, usually with that incredibly irritating pseudo-scientist hot on her heels, is not helping matters.)

Further complicating things – because they weren’t hopelessly tangled enough, of course not – is the small matter of Laura’s roommate from hell. Just thinking about the sneering dead (undead, what the fuck ever) girl causes Danny’s hackles to rise. Even disregarding the whole evil creature of the night thing, the vampire is _horrible_. Completely untrustworthy, very possibly involved in the girls’ disappearances – including one of Danny’s very own Society pack mates – and just generally rude, cynical, and totally undeserving of even a minute of Laura’s time (a set of opinions that only further Danny’s incredulity at the fact that Laura seems to be, in fact, _warming up_ to the bloodsucker).

It is with these admittedly uncharitable thoughts racing through Danny’s head – and clearly the whole ‘let the wolf envelop you’ strategy is a bust if Danny is still this caught up in the would be-relationships of her life – that the werewolf opts to break away from the sisters accompanying her, indicating with a toss of her head that they should go on without her and charging off in a burst of dirt and twigs. Perhaps some solitude will help her collect her thoughts and figure out just how to make Laura see the very real threat the vampire represents.

Slowing now that she is alone, Danny moves deeper into the woods, into areas the pack usually avoids, both for the practical reason that their territory does not extend so far in, and out of wary respect for the ancient (and potentially bloodthirsty) beings that reside therein. The woods here are as old as the beings that inhabit them, and though Danny knows that she shouldn’t be intruding on their land, especially not alone, the possibility of attaining the peace of mind she usually can’t find on Silas’ claustrophobic, routinely dangerous campus is too tempting, and so she moves on.

The werewolf trots on, enjoying the relative quiet of the ancient wood, broken only by the sound of running water from a stream nearby and the faint howls of her pack mates in the distance. She smells the air, picking up the varied scents of the wilderness around her: the sharp pine, the sweetness of the honeysuckle growing by the stream’s edge…and something else.

Danny mentally frowns, breathing in again. The smell again, distinct, vaguely familiar, but not something she can immediately place. Cautiously, she moves towards the scent, trying to place it. Something wild…not a human, certainly (not that any student would be foolish enough to venture this deep into the Silas woods, especially on a full moon). Without warning, the smell grows much stronger, filling the werewolf’s nostrils. Her eyes widen – it’s blood-

Something crashes into her, giving her no time to react as she’s shoved roughly into the dirt and the breath pushed from her lungs. Under the barrage of sensation, Danny is completely bewildered and not a little offended; something got the drop on _her_? She’s a werewolf, for Artemis’ sake! Her hearing is the best bar none, and she’d heard nothing coming at her!

And yet, here she is, pinned under the enormous paws and unsheathed claws of...something. Shaking her head furiously, trying to clear her vision, Danny struggles against the impressive force pressing her down, but the weight is too great. She snarls and growls unseeingly, but the weight on her aching chest – she wouldn’t be surprised if she bruised a rib or two in that tackle – simply increases.

Her vision finally clears and she finds herself looking into the golden eyes of what appears to be a very large cat…a panther, perhaps, its breath hot on her neck. Whatever it is, Danny is certain she’s never seen its type in the woods before. Is this one of the beings the pack knows to live this deep in the woods? Damn it, she never should have gone so far in alone – if she dies here, her sisters in the Society will see her brought back to life just to kill her all over again.

Pinned under it as she is, the creature’s scent surrounds her completely, an unpleasant mix of blood and smoke and…lavender? Yes, it’s definitely lavender, a scent Danny has become familiar with in the past months as it’s in the shampoo Laura favors. An unfortunate coincidence, she supposes, but it’s something she really shouldn’t be dwelling on considering the (literally) pressing matters at hand. She strains again against the creature’s weight, trying to snap at its neck, but the panther (for lack of a better identifier) simply leans away, looking distinctly unimpressed – much to Danny’s ire – but other than that doesn’t retaliate, seeming content to keep Danny pinned to the ground.

The werewolf considers her options. The panther currently keeping her down doesn’t seem to want her dead (not yet, anyway), as proven by the fact that her throat is still intact, and other than keeping her immobilized actually seems much more interested in their surroundings, its ears cocked and body tense as it looks around. Does she dare risk a howl to signal her sisters? As if reading her thoughts, the panther immediately flicks its gaze back to her and then, to Danny’s sputtering disbelief, presses a paw to her muzzle.

_Not a peep, mutt. You’ve attracted enough unwanted attention as it is._

Danny freezes. Did…did the panther just _speak_ to her? Because she’d definitely just heard someone else’s voice in her head. Maybe (hopefully) she’d hit her head in that take down as well. She’d much rather this be a figment of her unconscious imagination, anyway, considering how unpleasantly familiar that voice was…

_Unfortunately for us both, gingersnap, this is definitely happening._

Oh. Oh god. Danny lets her head fall back into the dirt, keeping her eyes closed lest she has to look up at the panther that is, for some godforsaken reason, somehow also Laura’s roommate from hell.

_Somehow? Really? That’s a bit rich coming from a girl who turns into a dog every time the moon comes out._

Aaand this is why Danny hates her. Opening her eyes to glare at the demon panther, as it henceforth will be known, she thinks back furiously, _Lycanthropy isn’t exactly unknown at Silas, Karnstein. Since when do vampires turn into giant cats? And what the hell, why are you in my_ head _?_

_Vampirism has its benefits, I suppose. Among them shapeshifting._

_That still doesn’t explain why I can hear you in my_ head _._

_I’m sorry not all of us prefer to communicate with barks and howls when we’re not in human form, mutt._

A growl rises unbidden to Danny’s throat. _God, you’re such a fucking piece of work, you know that?_

_And you’re a literal bitch. As always, I fail to see what Laura sees in you._

Danny sees red for a moment. _Don’t you dare bring Laura into this, dead girl._

_Well, she’s pretty much the only reason I’m here saving your idiotic, moon-addled ass right now, so I think that gives me the right-_

Their bickering is cut short by a piercing shriek, an eerie, deafening noise that makes Danny’s fur stand on end as the wolf inside her urges to run, to go, to flee. Her instincts scream at her that for once she is the prey, and the sooner she is gone, the better.

Above her, Carmilla stiffens, ears swiveling as she crouches tensely over Danny.

_What…what the fuck was that_ , Danny thinks tentatively after a moment.

_We’re not alone here, genius. There’s a reason your pack avoids this place, you know. What the hell were you thinking, coming here alone?!_

Had Danny been in human form, she would have flushed. This is a rookie mistake, no doubt about it. _I…I was just caught up in my thoughts, I didn’t really think-_

_Wow, there’s a shocker. Well, regardless of why you did or didn’t think – and I’m leaning towards the latter – you’ve managed to wake up some very old, very hungry beings that were really better off asleep._

Another nails-on-chalkboard screech rings through the trees, followed immediately by the flapping of countless wings as scores of birds swiftly abandon the area.

_And they don’t seem overly pleased about their wake up call_ , panther-Carmilla adds dryly.

Danny swallows. _Just what exactly are we dealing with here?_

_Oh, you know, just your run-of-the-mill ancient demons hired by my mother to keep unwanted visitors out._

_Excuse me?!_

_My mother may be very old and very powerful, but even she needs minions. How do you think she’s kept Silas as her own personal playground, free from interference, for the past couple centuries?_

_Ancient guardian demons, apparently_ , Danny replies, a bit faintly.

_Well, don’t you catch on fast?_

Finally releasing the werewolf – _you’re welcome for that, gingersnap, a little further and your pack would’ve had to find a new alpha_ – the panther scans the surrounding trees and then turns her gaze back to Danny, her unwavering stare a little unnerving.

_How fast can you run?_

_I_ am _a werewolf, you know_ , Danny begins testily, but before she can continue a third shriek echoes through the foliage, sounding closer than the previous calls. A lot closer. The unholy sound hasn’t fully died out before additional voices join it in a piercing cacophony that sends shivers down Danny’s spine.

_Time to prove it, Lawrence. We need to move. Now._

They run. Danny follows closely behind Carmilla, the panther surprisingly fast in this form, the trees blurring as they race past. The vampire seems to know exactly where to go, forging a confident path as they cut through territory even Danny hasn’t ventured into. All the while, the dissonant shrieks follow them, if they’re growing closer or farther the werewolf can’t tell. For the first time, she can sympathize with Silas’ wildlife; she’s much more accustomed to being the hunter rather than the hunted, and she can’t say she’s overly enamored with the shift or the rush of fear and adrenalin that comes with it.

The vampire remains silent as they move, apparently too focused on evading their hunters and reaching their destination (wherever that is, as far as Danny can tell they’re not headed back in the direction of campus), taking so many different paths and turns into little-used shortcuts that Danny is quickly turned around.

The werewolf is beginning to get a bit winded when they finally slow, though she’ll never admit it – Carmilla never seems to tire, having made their entire run at the same swift and steady pace. Perhaps there are some benefits to the whole not-needing-to-breathe thing (though she’d never admit that, either). The shrieks of the Dean’s hired demon goons have finally faded, and Danny guesses (hopes) they’ve made it far enough out of their territory to calm the ancient beings’ ire.

Having caught her breath, Danny looks around, realizing with a jolt that she actually does recognize the area of the woods they’re reached. But this is the –

_The Society outpost? How the hell do you know about this place?_

The panther casts a disinterested look towards her. _I’ve been wandering these woods every twenty years for more decades than I care to remember, mutt. They hold no secrets from me. Your pack comes here after your little jaunts in the moonlight, don’t they?_

Danny glares at her for a moment before sighing and nodding. The panther looks at her smugly, the expression less strange than it should be on a non-human face, before turning to go.

_Hey, wait! Are you going back there? After we just ran for our lives?_

Carmilla looks at her over her shoulder. _Those creatures, irritable though they may be, would hardly attack their mistress’ daughter. These woods are mine._

But if Carmilla had no need to run from them, then why…Danny’s heart sinks as the realization hits her. Forget anything else that had happened tonight; the worst by far is being in the debt of the world’s most annoying vampire.

_Why would you even help me?_

The panther pauses. _As much as it pains me to admit, Laura would be unacceptably upset if you were eaten in the woods. And you’re not…entirely useless. This idiotic, futile struggle with my mother is going to come to a head sooner or later, and I suppose it wouldn't hurt to have the support of the local werewolf pack when the shit hits the fan._

Danny stares. _Wow. That’s the least insulting thing you’ve ever said to me._

_Looks like it’s a night for miracles_.

Carmilla turns to leave again. _Now go rejoin your sisters before they burn down half the woods looking for you._

She’s half way out of the clearing before Danny’s voice reaches her, sounding pained.

_Hey, dead girl…thanks, or whatever._

The panther stands for an awkward moment, before nodding once and disappearing into the woods. Danny listens for her footsteps, but the vampire is soundless; a natural hunter. No wonder she’d never heard her coming.

Letting out a huff, she turns and heads towards the outpost, a rough wooden structure the pack stays at every full moon. Most of the Society is already there, what with dawn only scant hours away, and the vampire’s prediction proves true; they’re beyond relieved to see her, crowding around her as she enters (knowing them, they probably already had a search party ready to go as soon as dawn hit).

After assuaging their worries with reassuring nudges and nips, Danny curls up in front of the fireplace, staring into it a bit moodily. She’d been thoroughly prepared to hate the vampire for the rest of her considerable lifespan (she may not be immortal, but werewolves are a hardy lot), and now it seems she has some reevaluating to do. Irritating as the undead girl is, she’s definitely just saved Danny’s ass, and done it when she could’ve easily left her to her own devices. Sure, she had practical reasons for doing it, but they were the same ones Danny would’ve considered in her place. Even worse, Danny had definitely felt some sort of… _camaraderie_ with the vampire as they fled the demons’ territory together, a sort of comradeship forged in their mutual desire to get the hell out of there.

So. She doesn’t hate the vampire, may even have some grudging respect for her, and to cap it all off, is in her debt. Fantastic. Whatever she was expecting this full moon, this certainly wasn’t it. Still, she’s fairly certain now on one thing: when the shit inevitably does hit the fan with the dean – one rare point she and Carmilla don’t disagree on – she won’t hesitate to fight by the vampire’s side. After all, she owes her one.

**Author's Note:**

> Danny and Carmilla being grudging allies 2k14. And apparently I can't write without including the SumSoc and Danny in some fashion...I think I have a problem.


End file.
